Pretoria: The Gauteng Provincial Legislature's Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has called for an urgent and coordinated response to the escalating kidnapping crisis in the Province, following disturbing revelations that Kempton Park recorded the highest number of kidnapping cases in Gauteng between April and June 2026.
According to South African Government News Agency, the revelation was made during a critical stakeholder engagement convened by the Committee on Friday, 18 September 2026, to interrogate the growing prevalence, causes, and impact of kidnapping in Gauteng. The South African Police Service (SAPS) latest crime statistics indicate that Kempton Park recorded 76 kidnapping cases between April and June 2026, compared with 48 during the same period in 2025, an increase of 58.3%.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Bandile Masuku, said this makes Kempton Park the highest recording precinct in Gauteng for kidnapping during the quarter. He expressed concern over the figures, especially given the recent discovery of the bodies of several women in the broader Ekurhuleni area. While investigations into these deaths remain ongoing, the Committee believes the exceptionally high kidnapping figures in Kempton Park demand intensified policing, intelligence-led investigations, and visible interventions to protect residents.
Masuku added that the situation is equally alarming at the provincial level. Gauteng recorded 2,367 kidnapping cases between April and June 2026, more than half of the 4,638 cases recorded nationally during the quarter. The scale of these figures places Gauteng at the center of South Africa's kidnapping crisis.
The Committee is particularly concerned about the different forms of kidnapping in Gauteng, including hijacking-related kidnappings and the growing threat of kidnapping for ransom. During a presentation by the SAPS, it was revealed that the established organized crime team dealt with ransom kidnapping cases in Bekkersdal and Roodepoort during the first quarter of the current financial year. In Bekkersdal, a ransom of R5 million was reportedly demanded, while a R3 million ransom was demanded in the Roodepoort case.
Masuku emphasized that these figures should serve as a wake-up call to every law enforcement agency and every level of government. He stressed that kidnapping cannot be treated as an isolated crime when its tentacles extend into hijacking, organized crime, ransom demands, and the targeting of vulnerable people. The Committee is calling for kidnapping to receive the highest level of attention in Gauteng, including strengthened intelligence gathering, enhanced coordination between law enforcement agencies, targeted operations in identified hotspots, and stronger engagement with communities.
The Committee also urged residents to work closely with law enforcement by reporting suspicious activity and providing information that could assist investigations. Masuku reiterated that Gauteng cannot normalize kidnapping and emphasized that communities must be protected, criminal networks must be disrupted, and those responsible must face the full might of the law.